


Wish You Were Here

by cienfleur



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, happy zolu week fellas, hi sorry i havent written fics in so long uh, hope yall like being sorta sad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-06-14 22:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15399117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cienfleur/pseuds/cienfleur
Summary: Zoro reflects on moments throughout his journey with the Strawhats, mainly with Luffy.  However, the fun times with everyone else don't last.





	1. Red

Red, the color that stained my blades

For months before I met you

The color of anger,

And power,

And strength,

And danger,

All the things I was familiar with.

And then there was you:

Loud,

Stupid,

And fantastic.

-

 

Seas make up a grand portion of the world. We are surrounded by water no matter where we turn. If you walk far enough in any direction, you will undoubtedly reach water eventually. What many people refuse to acknowledge, however, is that, ultimately, to go out to sea is to bet your own luck against the sea itself because, both above and below its silky, cerulean, waves lurk many dangers. For example, if you are in a small boat and a sea monster appears, how will you defend yourself? If you are in that same boat and a storm blows in, who will be there to help prevent your capsizing? At that point, all you can do is throw your curses out to sea and wait for your untimely death.

People are the same, to a degree. You can’t brave life alone. You can try, but you will fail in the end, because if you live by learning from yourself and yourself alone, who will give you advice from another perspective? Who will teach you things that you wouldn’t have learned otherwise, and who would have shown you things that you wouldn’t have been shown? How will you protect yourself from the dangers of the world without a shoulder to cry on?

-

 

Zoro was used to being alone, and never believed for a moment that he would falter in his purpose or in his life itself.

 

All of his life, he had fought who he needed to fight. Alone.

He had tried to reach his ambition. Alone.

He lived. Alone. 

After all, when you’re that strong, who needs help? Why endanger the lives of others at the possible cost of your own hopes and dreams? Fighting by yourself is usually easier, anyway. No one can get in your way, and if they do, you can just cut them down.

However, looking at the scrawny boy in front him, he couldn’t help but wish he could become part of his life. In the beams of sunlight raining down from the clear sky, the boy looked more like a savior to him than the goofy guy who had shown up in the crucifiction yard earlier. Truthfully, he was still stunned at the the amount of power that came from such a small frame. 

Hours before, Zoro had, admittedly, almost died. He had intended to stay tied to that stake without food or water for a month (alone, as he wanted to be) because of a fair trade between him and the island’s navy captain’s son. It was a simple trade, really: the life of one man for the lives of two others. He would be far more likely to survive than them, anyway. And, he had almost done it (alone, as he wanted to be), until that stupid son decided to break their agreement and execute him that day. Without the boy with the straw hat, he would never have found out, and without the boy with the straw hat’s help, he would never have escaped in time, even if it meant getting blackmailed into joining a pirate crew.

Perhaps there was some benefit to teaming up with others.

 

-

With great care, Zoro sheathed his three swords as the boy turned around to look at him with a toothy grin, radiating pure, unrelenting, excitement. “Nice job, Zoro!” he cheered. It was the pair’s first victory out of many more to come.

Zoro grinned back at him, moving a hand to untie his bandanna. “My pleasure, cap… Wait, I don’t think I ever got your name…?”

The boy’s smile seemed to get even bigger, if that was at all possible. In his entire life, Zoro had never seen anyone brimming with such amounts of happiness and energy. “My name is Monkey D. Luffy! The man who’s gonna be king of the pirates!”

“Luffy, huh…” Zoro’s smile stayed on his face as his consciousness began to fade from hunger and thirst.

Captain. So he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wahoo sort of a prologue i guess


	2. Orange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An island appears on the horizon and Luffy can't help but feel excited about what could be lying in wait there.

The orange enthusiasm that envelops you

I can never forget it.

An aura as bright as your very being.

You are the sun in my sky

And the wind in my sails.

-

“Hey, there’s an island on the horizon!”

Nami’s voice carried over the wind and the waves as she squinted into the distance. Indeed, an island was on the horizon, its silhouette blocking the view of the sea that laid beyond. As if he was summoned into existence by those words, Luffy burst out of the Going Merry’s kitchen with as much vigor as a cat chasing a spool of yarn.

“Where?!? Where’s the island?!?” He exclaimed, bounding across the deck and searching for the island from every angle. His flip flops clapped loudly against the deck with each leap and bounce. “NAMI!! WH-” His sentence got cut off as he tripped over one of Zoro’s legs, falling flat on the boards of the Merry.

“Luffy, don’t slam the Merry’s doors!” Usopp poked his head out of the kitchen and glared balefully at his captain. “Kaya gave us this ship, so we need to take care of it as best as we can! If you keep doing stuff like that to her she’ll get destroyed!”

The boy sat up, laughing to himself. “Sorry Usopp, I was just so excited! Just think of everything that could be waiting for us on that island! There could be monsters, or weird people, or-”

“Stop, I don’t wanna hear it! That stuff’s sc- I mean, a brave warrior of the sea like myself would have no issue with that, but couldn’t we head to an island we know for a fact is good?”

Sanji was the next person to come out of the kitchen, donning a light pink apron. “You can both find out what’s on that island soon. For now, I made us some lunch. Come get it while it’s hot!”

Usopp’s somewhat irritated demeanor vanished instantly at the thought of Sanji’s cooking and was replaced by an extreme excitement. The boy quickly ran back into the kitchen, followed by Sanji and soon after, Nami. Luffy was getting to his feet to head to the kitchen as well when suddenly, Zoro gave a loud yawn, prompting him to look over at him. 

As he napped, Zoro seemed to embody the very image of serenity. It was interesting, Luffy thought, how one man could be so quiet one second and rowdy the next. In that sense, they were polar opposites: Luffy had a tendency to be loud with quiet moments every once and a while, his energy boundless, while Zoro preferred to nap through the day and regain his energy, oftentimes a somewhat quiet protector. But Luffy wouldn’t have had it any other way. They contrasted each other in just the right ways, and it’s not like Zoro was a rock with no emotions. He had fun with Luffy, and Luffy had fun with him.

“...What’s all the ruckus about?” Zoro yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “Is it lunch time already?”

Luffy grinned at his first mate and trusted friend. “Yeah, but we’re almost at an island! Isn’t that exciting? I wonder if they have a meat shop or something…”

Zoro smiled gently, chuckling a bit at his captain’s excitement. “If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to get some booze there, too. We’ve been running low for quite a while now.”

Luffy nodded in agreement, despite not enjoying alcohol himself. He knew, however, how much Zoro enjoyed it, and seeing his friends happy made him happy! The loud growling of his stomach jolted him out of the conversation. 

“Ah!! That’s right! Lunch!” He hopped to his feet quickly, beginning his advance towards the kitchen before turning towards Zoro once more. “Race you there!” he shouted before bolting towards his destination.

“HEY! That’s not fair!” Zoro yelled indignantly, running in pursuit of his captain.

-

Luffy clapped his feet together repeatedly under the table as Sanji laid out everyone’s plates. Today’s lunch was some cod that Sanji had bought at the last island, but it was the last of it. If they were going to survive on the sea, they would need more food soon. Nami laid out a map on the table and pointed at a certain small island.

“This should be the island that we’re heading to right now,” she began. “It’s super small, so I doubt that there are a lot of people on it, but I think it’s worth checking out in case there are people there. Once we make a stop there, we can keep heading on our journey to Loguetown.”

As the navigator spoke, she moved her index finger over the map, tracing the trail that the crew would follow. Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro watched her movements carefully, nodding every so often. 

“Ahh, as expected of you, sweet Nami! You took the time to plan ahead on our trip...!” Sanji swooned.

“Hey, it’s really no big deal. I’m just doing my job,” the navigator responded.

Luffy, however, was too busy fantasizing about the array of possible things that could be lurking on the island to pay attention. Nami’s voice faded into the background as he daydreamed and ate. Would there be giant bugs? Would there be weird-looking animals? How about cool swords? Zoro would like that. Or maybe there’d be an amusement park, or a booze shop, since Zoro wanted to go to one so badly. Or -

“Hey, Luffy? Luffy?”

Usopp waved his hand in front of his captain’s face, jolting him out of his daydream.

“AH! So it’s a mystery island!” He exclaimed, much to the dismay of his crew. It’s not like they had genuinely expected him to listen, but it still would’ve been nice for him to pay attention at least every once in a while.

Nami gave out a long sigh. “More importantly, we need people to go out and explore the island. Luffy, I’m assuming you want to go, and… How about Zoro? You’ve been looking after the ship on the past couple islands we’ve been to, right?”

At the sound of his first mate’s name, Luffy got even more excited than he had been earlier. A whole day to spend with one of his best friends? That was all he could have asked for! At this point, the boy was practically vibrating with excitement.

Zoro smiled a bit at the prospect of a day with his captain as well. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped, huh. Sure, I’ll go.”

“So that means the three of us won’t have to go on the island at all?” Usopp asked, sounding a bit relieved.

-

“Zoro! Hurry up!”

Luffy bounced on his heels over and over. It felt as though he had been waiting on the soft grass of the island for years. When Zoro finally showed up and hopped off of the ship, Luffy was already on his way into the lush jungle that laid ahead of them.

“HEY! Wait up!” Zoro yelled, sprinting after his captain.

The black-haired boy stopped for a moment, the smile on his face so bright that it rivaled the sun itself. “Zoro, you’re so slow! You’re like a turtle!” he teased, laughing.

Zoro clenched his fists in annoyance, his face a little red. “Last I checked, YOU’RE the one that raced ahead!”

Luffy kept laughing, a sound that Zoro was used to hearing but took him aback every time he heard it, anyway. He’d never met someone with such a carefree and genuine laugh, and he was sure that no other sound in the world could rival it. That laugh was one of the few things that made him relax instantaneously. He gave a soft smile as he reached for his swords.

“Anyway, let’s get going. I’ll cut us a path through here.”

Zoro unsheathed his swords and sliced the vines and tree branches in their way, Luffy following close behind with bright eyes and vast amounts of energy. The fact that his first mate was so strong and so skilled with swords was something that had amazed him for a long time. How had he ended up with such a cool crewmate?

As the pair picked their way through the dense vegetation, Zoro leagues more careful than Luffy, who somehow kept springing past all the plants, the captain hummed a tune to himself. Every so often he would pick up a stick, or a bug, or a rock, before tossing it aside. At one point, still far ahead of his first mate, he yelled a question back to him.

“What was life like for you before we were friends?”

Zoro swung his sword through some vines. “You mean before I joined the crew? Well…” The swordsman had to think for a moment. It wasn’t something he had really thought of. Time seemed to have passed so quickly since the two had met and at this point, it just seemed normal for him to be with Luffy. He couldn’t imagine his life any other way, but thinking back, his life had been a little easier before they had met. He had people to look out for now, the unpredictable, reckless, Luffy being at the top of the list. Despite his captain’s usually-dumbass moves, however, he felt as though he had to protect him and his smile. There was something special that he couldn’t place about the energetic boy, and the fact that he couldn’t place whatever emotion that was annoyed him. “I was alone for the most part, I guess,” he began. “I sorta did everything myself. Didn’t really have anyone to talk to, but now… I have people to come home to, if that makes sense?”

Zoro sliced another vine in his way. As he spoke, however, it became clear that Luffy wasn’t completely listening, once again. The black-haired boy was barely visible among the bushes and trees far ahead, but Zoro found himself smiling instead of being irritated about getting left behind for the umpteenth time.

He was thankful that he and Luffy had met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally i was gonna add a chapter every day for zolu week but im bad at focusing on tasks so here it is: chapter two


	3. Yellow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luffy doesn't know how to lift weights, but he DOES know how to lift up his friends' spirits.

Confidence was something I knew well.

Alone, I felled many an opponent.

But alone, I have fallen.

Together, we are more.

Your unwavering optimism fuels us both.

-

The exhilaration that comes with cutting down your opponents cannot be described easily. There is a feeling of immense power along with the idea that you once again bested somebody else. You were stronger than them, or smarter than them. Something was inherently better about you, allowing you to prosper while they were forced to deal with whatever issues came with their defeat.

Being cut down, however, gives off the exact opposite feeling. You are the one forced into despair, because you weren’t able to protect something you loved, whether it be your pride or otherwise.

Zoro was familiar with both of these things, although he would rather not talk about the times where he lost. They were never his best moments, after all. He’d rather appear to be strong and dependable, not weak and useless. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but oftentimes, these moments only occured when he acted rashly. For example, towards the beginning of their journey, he had challenged the world’s greatest swordsman to a duel, all because he assumed that, hey, if he’s been working hard all his life, he must be just as good. Once again, this was not one of his finest moments, especially because it was one of the first impressions gave to someone who he quite genuinely disliked and would go on to join the crew.

More than anything, however, he could never erase the sound of Luffy’s voice screaming over everything; the rocking waves, the ringing in his ears, the sheer pain that comes with getting cut open: these were all silent in comparison to the voice of the person he had sworn his loyalty to. The person he had promised to be strong for. The person he had promised to go on adventures with. His captain.

He had failed him.

Zoro brought down his arm forcefully, the large weight in his hand clicking quietly with the vigor he exerted into his workout. He brought the weight up again before repeating the motion, brows furrowed in frustration. How could he have ever been so weak?

The man was so focused that he didn’t hear the soft tap of someone grabbing onto the final rung of the ladder leading up to the crow’s nest and flinging himself upwards onto the floor of the training room with a muffled tap and a surprisingly soft “upsy-daisy”. The clapping of flip-flops against the floor is what caused the first mate to spin around in surprise to look at his guest.

Luffy plopped down on the cool floor in front of him with his usual shit-eating grin. “Heya Zoro!” He greeted loudly.

Zoro tried to force himself not to chuckle at his captain’s relaxed nature as he began swinging down his weight again. “What’re you doing up so early, captain? It’s 2:00 am.”

The black haired boy rocked back and forth with a pensive “ehh…”. It was clear that he had been sleeping recently, his hair more of a curly mess than it normally was. It was just surprising to Zoro that he was up so early - normally he had at least a few hours in the early morning to himself.

“I’m just not all that sleepy,” Luffy began, finally sitting still for a moment before clapping his feet together. “And I wanted to see what you’re always doing so late at night!”

Zoro blinked in surprise. The pair had known each other long enough by now that Luffy had to know that he spent most of his spare time exercising and sleeping. But looking down at the lean boy, he could tell that he was genuinely interested, his brown eyes wide and sparkling with anticipation.

“I’m really just exercising and keeping an eye out for enemies,” he explained, finally setting the weight down on the ground. He put a hand on the back of his neck as a bit of warmth crept into his cheeks. “Nothing big.”

Luffy’s mouth went into an “o” shape before he began smiling wide again, pointing at the weight. “Could I try?!?”

Once again, Zoro was surprised, but he wasn’t one to deny something harmless like someone wanting to use his weights. “Sure.”

As the green-haired man went to get a towel to dry the sweat off his body at least a little bit, Luffy zoomed over to the weight, placing his small hands on one end and attempting to lift it up. The weight, although large and heavy, came up relatively easily, with some exertion on Luffy’s part. The coming back down part, however, was much trickier. Unaccustomed to the force of the weight in the air above him, Luffy began to stumble. “Whoa!” He shouted.

Zoro’s golden eyes widened at the sight of his captain and he quickly ran over, dropping the white towel in the process. “Be careful, dummy!” he yelled, stepping directly behind Luffy on the off chance that he fell backwards, putting one careful hand on the ones his captain was using on the weight and the other on his left arm in an attempt to steady it.

Luffy’s mouth stayed agape for a few seconds before he gave his usual laugh. “Thanks, Zoro!” he chirruped.

“Yeah, yeah…” Zoro replied with a grimace.

“So, how exactly do you do this again?” Luffy laughed.

Zoro sighed as he tried to think of a way to teach him how to use the weight successfully. After a moment’s hesitation, he put the hand that had been resting on Luffy’s on his captain’s other arm. 

“You do it like this,” he explained, pushing on his arms in an attempt to drag Luffy’s through the motions that they were supposed to go through. After a few successful swings, he slowly let go and backed away. Although his form was still not the greatest, it was a start!

Now knowing that Luffy wasn’t at risk of dying from a weight or smashing a window, Zoro walked to the bench at the side of the room and grabbed his usual white shirt, which had been haphazardly tossed to the side, and quickly put it back on. He’d had enough of exercising for the night so instead, he sat down, his legs crossed and head propped down onto his right hand thoughtfully. He hardly noticed Luffy put down the weight and plop down hardly even three inches away from him.

“We’ve been together for a while now, huh?” He began, leaning forward a little and looking over at his first mate.

Zoro looked right back at him, straightening his back and putting his hand down, the hot flush coming back despite the fact that he had stopped exercising a while ago. Why the hell did he keep feeling so warm tonight? He nodded in response, trying to keep his composure. “Yeah. Its been almost a year now, right?”

Luffy smiled brightly, nodding over and over. “Something like that!” he agreed. “We’ve been on some pretty crazy adventures, huh!”

The first mate smiled momentarily before going back to his usual solemn expression. Luffy caught the change in mood quickly, looking surprised. “Zoro, what’s up? You’re not normally like this.”

Grimacing, he looked off at the other side of the room. He couldn’t bear to look at him while he talked about this, since it was such a point of embarrassment for him. “Luffy, do you remember Mihawk?”  
The captain blinked his wide eyes. “That was that weird sword guy at the Baratie, right? The one you fought?”

Zoro said nothing in response for a moment, continuing to look off into the distance, as if maybe, just maybe, he could find something reassuring in the glass windows of the crow’s nest. “...I’m sorry I couldn’t… beat him.” His voice caught in his throat mid-sentence. Admitting his failures had always been nearly impossible for him.

Silence, and then Luffy’s ever-loud voice.

“Is that why you’ve been so weird lately?!?”

Zoro glanced to his right side, where Luffy was now standing up and looking down at him with a mixture of emotions. He could remember having trouble reading him when the two had first met, but now, he could see a plethora of emotions scattered across his face. Surprise. Shock. Disbelief. Anger, maybe for not telling him sooner. They were all there.

“Zoro, you’re so stupid! You said you’d never lose again after that, so it’s fine!”

“But, I let you d-”

“You’re not the only one who’s lost fights or almost lost them! What really matters is that everything turned out fine in the end!”

With fists clenched, Luffy sat back down next to Zoro before reaching around him and squeezing him in a hug. “It’s not like I’d ever give up on you, anyway.”

Zoro, rather taken aback by the movement, took several seconds before he could even think to hug him back.

“...Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for taking so long with this!!!!!! i wasnt sure how i wanted to continue but HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHAPTER 3 BABEY

**Author's Note:**

> whats up gamers welcome to my fic hope you like it i dont know how to write!!!! im hoping the other chapters will be longer i just felt like this one was to the point you feel me. consider this a prologue


End file.
